How to Update Hubs to Increase Traffic

Increase your Traffic by Updating your Hubs

Every Hub can use a bit of spring cleaning. Even those Hubs that are seeing traffic can and should be updated; in fact, those are the Hubs that we suggest starting with! To aid in the updating process, we have created a list of 12 things that you can do to help grow Hub traffic on previously written Hubs.

Which Hubs Should I Update?

The first step in increasing your Hub traffic is finding which Hubs you should update. While updating all of your Hubs with these steps is a great thing to do, we are first going to focus our attention on the Hubs that have the following three attributes:

been published for over a year,

are already seeing traffic, AND

haven't been updated in the last year.

The best opportunity for an increase in traffic comes from updating your best Hubs. However, when you are finished updating your top Hubs, consider updating all of your Hubs with these 12 steps. In particular, those Hubs that were once seeing traffic but have seemed to have declined, might do well with some refreshing, new content. To find which Hubs are receiving the most traffic, go to your My Account > Hubs > Statistics page and click the "ever" header to sort your Hubs by all-time traffic.

We recommend the following steps when updating your Hubs:

1. When editing your Hub, have you noticed any helpful tips that we have provided?

HubPages has a tool when editing your Hub that lets you know if there are any areas of your Hub that could use improvement. If you have any tips, you will find them in the top right corner of your Hub while you are in edit mode. If you are so inclined, we recommend updating your Hub with these suggestions.

2. Add new content to your Hub.

We recommend adding two new text capsules with new content to your Hub, and since you've just analyzed how your readers are finding your Hub, it's time to use that knowledge and add keyword-specific content to your Hub. By adding more information around a specific keyword, you are reinforcing its legitimacy. Of course, this doesn't mean necessarily using that keyword multiple times in your text; just provide more relevant information around it.

If you have outdated or poor content, delete it. More is not better. All of your content should be up to date, relevant, and the best on the web!

3. Add original photos.

If you haven't done so already, add original, useful, and informative photos to your Hub. If you already have original photographs, consider adding more! Hubs that have original photos tell your reader that you know something about your topic. However, if you have to use someone else's photograph, be sure you do it legally and properly attribute them!

4. Add a poll, table or other meaningful capsule to your Hub.

Well-written polls and expertly-laid out tables can be incredibly engaging. We recommend one well-placed poll on your Hub if it makes sense and, if your content calls for it, an informative table! HubPages provides other capsules that could be useful as well. A map or quiz capsule could be a great addition to your Hub. Take a moment and see if any other capsules will enrich your Hub's content.

5. Remove or fix broken links.

This is a no-brainer. If you have any broken links, either delete or update them. Broken links can easily be seen while viewing your Hub (you will see a warning in yellow at the top of your Hub that there is a broken link) or under My Account > Hubs > Statistics. Hubs that have broken links will have a triangle and exclamation point icon.

6. Analyze your title.

Your title is incredibly important if you want your Hub to be found via search or social media. A good title can make or break a Hub. If your traffic is down, you may want to consider completely revamping your title. If you are writing your Hub with the intent to receive traffic from search, your title should be close to a query that one would type into Google. If you are trying to get traffic from social media, you need a catchy title, e.g., You won't believe what this mom did for her daughter; it will change the way you think about parenting. This title would not work for search, but could be a great title to drive social media traffic.

Don't forget, if you are looking for search-driven traffic, your title should be the primary thing that your Hub is about, and your content should answer the question of your title. For example, if your Hub's title is, how to change a leaky faucet without a plumber, your content should explain how to do so. We also recommend that you answer the question of your title (or elude that you will shortly) in the very beginning of your Hub. Online searchers are quick to hit the back button if they don't think your Hub will answer their query.

7. Analyze your view duration.

You can analyze the time that readers are viewing your Hub by going to the Hub you would like to analyze, clicking on "stats", and "Hub Metrics". Under the Hub Metrics tab, you will see a statistic called View Duration. How long a reader is on your Hub will be represented by stars, i.e., the more stars, the longer your readers stay on your Hub. If you have three or more stars, congratulations! You have created an intriguing Hub! If you see less than three stars, it is a sign that readers aren't engaging with your content and you should add more relevant information (this is a great time to add a poll, quiz, map, etc!)

If you have Google Analytics tracking your account, you can also look at Average Time on Page as an indicator of how much time visitors are spending reading your Hub. See our Learning Center guide, for more information on setting up a Google Analytics account.

8. Reduce Amazon offers.

Having too many Amazon offers can be off-putting to a reader. You might want to reduce the number of capsules and number of items in each capsule. It's better to have one relevant Amazon product than multiple products that may take away from the attractiveness and readability of the Hub.

We recommend analyzing your Amazon reports to see which products your readers are buying and use those statistics to showcase certain Amazon items. You can analyze your Amazon reports in your Amazon Associates account.

If you notice that you aren't seeing any sales from certain Hubs, remove those product capsules. Tangential, useless products only devalue your online writing reputation.

9. Check for comments.

Comments Capsule: Change your comments capsule to display newest comments first. Many Hubbers have older Hubs that have been around for years. Comments that are new showcase fresh and up-to-date thoughts and ideas.

10. Write original summaries.

Summaries are quick snippets of information about your Hub that are displayed under your title when a potential reader searches for your Hub's topic on Google and Bing. They are also shown on HubPages when your Hub is being presented, e.g., via the Feed. All Hubs should have an original summary. If you haven't created summaries for all of your Hubs, go back and do so. You can see which Hubs do not have a summary by going to My Account > Hubs > Statistics and looking for the "A" next to your Hub. (All Hubs that have an "A" symbol are missing a summary.) For more information, see our Learning Center section on writing a good summary.

11. Display content in a readable format.

Content on the web is different than in books and magazines. Most of your readers from search engines aren't just browsing; they want to find their answer quickly. You can help them by organizing your content in a way that is easily read, digested, and aesthetically pleasing. The best way to create a well laid out Hub is to break your Hub up into multiple capsules. A reader may come to your Hub for one answer, and, if your Hub is well laid out, they will find it quickly. If you have created an engaging Hub, they might just stay for more of your expertly-written information!

12. Revive or Delete?

We all have Hubs that have fallen off of the Google Map, but they have the potential to be revived if you put in the work. However, if you have a Hub that is over a year old, has never seen much Google traffic, and you feel isn't up to the same quality as your Hubs that are receiving Google traffic, consider deleting it. It's better to only have the highest quality Hubs associated with your account. In some cases, deleting old Hubs that aren't seeing traffic can give a boost to your Hubs that are seeing traffic.

Good Luck!

We understand that updating your Hubs is a lot of work, but being an online writer isn't an easy job! By updating your Hubs, you are telling your readers and Google that you care about your content and are committed to making it the best out there! Plus, the hard work should equate to an increase in overall traffic! Happy Hubbing!